Have A Little Faith (AU)
by readwritelove22
Summary: Meet Everleigh (pronounced ever-lee) James, Emma's twin sister who happened to spend 11 years on Neverland, not that she remembers any of it. She's spent the last two years bouncing from one bad foster home to another. Now, one year before she ages out of the system and will finally be free, she finds a couple in some middle of nowhere town in Maine wants to adopt her.
1. Everleigh's Back Story

Timeline:

Ages 0-14:

Went through the magic wardrobe with Emma. Was separated from Emma when Emma was adopted by the Swans. The two girls were occasionally in the same home but were apart more often than not. As they got older, the two began running away on their birthday and meeting up together.

At 14, Everleigh goes missing and Emma believes she is dead.

Ages 14-25:

Everleigh is in Neverland where Pan steals her magic. She stays physically 14 as she remains on the island for 11 years. When she would have been 25 Pan takes her memories and sends her back to her world because he knows he will need her to get Henry to the island.

Ages 25-28 (physically 14-17):

Everleigh has no recollection of her past before, during, or after Neverland. It is assumed she had amnesia and she is put back into the foster system. She bounces around from home to home until she finally, one year before she ages out of the system, finds a couple willing to adopt her in a town called Storybrooke.

Appearance:

Everleigh is practically the opposite of Emma. She has Snow's petite stature along with her dark, wild curls and porcelain skin. However, she has many of Charming's facial features including his chin and eyes.

Personality: Before Neverland, Everleigh was outgoing, energetic, and full of life. Her stay on Neverland hardened her which carried over after she left the island even though she doesn't remember her time there. Everleigh has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and is a little rough around the edges.

How does Everleigh end up in Storybrooke?

In my story, Emma never owed Rumplestiltskin a favor. In order to get Emma to help him bring Neal to Storybrooke he reveals that Everleigh did not die like Emma had thought. He arranges for Snow and Charming to adopt her in return for Emma going with him to get Neal.

This story will mostly stick to the OUAT story line but there will be some changes. However, the timing will be different. For example, there will be a lengthy period of time between when Neal comes to Storybrooke and they all go to Neverland.


	2. Intro

**I Do Not own OUAT!**

Intro

"What do you want, Gold?" I demand once I open the door to the apartment that I now share with Snow White and Prince Charming, my parents. Yeah, not getting any less weird.

"Don't fret Miss Swan, I've come in peace. " He offers me a grin and I roll my eyes. "And to make you a deal."

"We don't make deals with imps like you." I hear David say from behind me as a places a protective hand on my shoulder. That's not getting any less weird either.

"Good thing the deal isn't for you." Mr. Gold narrows his eyes at David. I can feel David tensing up behind me.

"What could you possibly have that would make me even consider cutting a deal with you?" I ask, trying to diffuse the tension building up in the room.

"Funny you should ask, I just so happen to have some information on your sister." He grins maliciously, clearly thinking he has the upper hand.

"Everleigh is dead." I state bluntly and try to ignore the way Mary Margaret and David flinch. "Her foster dad confessed to killing her himself."

"But her body was never found, was it?" He asks with one eyebrow arched. I cross my arms over my chest stiffly and refuse to answer because he's right. The police dredged the bay my sister's foster dad confessed to dumping her in for three days but came up empty handed. Mr. Gold holds up a newspaper clipping and hands it over to me. "Three years ago fishermen pulled a 14 year old girl from the icy waters of the same bay your sister was dumped in. The girl could only remember her name, Everleigh."

"Three years ago my sister would have been 25." I shove the newspaper clipping into David's hands without glancing at it. "The name is just a coincidence."

"And is this a coincidence, Miss Swan?" Gold questions as he hands me a photograph. My face feels flushed and I become lightheaded the longer I stare at it. As a foster kid, I'm familiar with these types of pictures, the ones doctors take at hospitals to document injuries. What I didn't expect to see is the face of my dead sister staring up at me looking no more than 15 years old in a picture dated from three years ago. Her face is thinner and her eyes a bit duller but there is no mistake that it is indeed Everleigh.

"What's the deal?" I demand, cutting into what ever argument David and Mr. Gold were having.

"There is someone in New York that I need to see. You help me find him and get him to talk to me and I'll work it out so that mommy and daddy dearest can adopt your sister and you all can live happily ever after." Mr. Gold explains with a mocking flourish of his hands.

"Emma, you can't trust him." David says but I ignore him.

"All I have to do is find him and get him to talk to you?" I ask and Gold nods. "Deal."

Gold and I quickly shake hands and he informs me we'll be leaving for New York tomorrow morning, much to my parents' dismay.

"Emma, you can't be serious?" Mary Margaret gasps as soon as the door closes behind Gold. "Ever- " She chokes up trying to say my sister's name. "Everleigh is dead. You told me so when you first moved in with me."

"She is- or was. I don't know. I do know that this," I hand the photo over to her. "is Everleigh."

Both Mary Margaret and David take a moment to examine the picture and I know they're both mentally comparing it to the only photo I had to show them of Everleigh; a rather grainy portrait from our 12th birthday.

"How?" David asks as he clearly tries to hold back the tears building up in his eyes.

"I don't know." I admit, not bothering to stop the lone tear escaping down my cheek.


	3. Potlucks and Cantatas

**I Do Not own OUAT. Everleigh is my own creation!**

Chapter 1

"I can't believe you're making me come here." I grumble to Amanda, my social worker, as I glare at the quaint, brick buildings lining the street we're driving down.

"Come on, it won't be that bad." She grins over at me as I groan. "It's actually kind of cute." She admits nodding over toward a huge clock tower.

"Exactly, it's a tiny, little town where everyone knows everyone and there's no such thing as privacy." I complain as we pull up to a small shop which apparently has an apartment above it. "I bet they have potlucks."

Amanda flat out laughs at my statement and asks, "What's wrong with potlucks?"

"They're unsanitary and gross." I inform her.

"They are not!" she exclaims as she kills the ignition in car and pops the trunk.

"They so are!" I argue. "You have no way of knowing who prepared a dish and whether or not they washed their hands before doing so. Not to mention, everyone serves themselves and gets their germs all over everything."

Amanda just shakes her head and climbs out of the car. She makes sure to put the keys around her neck knowing I'm not above stealing her car to get the hell out of dodge. I reluctantly follow her out of the car, grabbing the backpack from between my feet.

"You know, it's not too late to make a run for it." I inform her as I grab my duffle bag from the trunk and she grabs the manilla envelope containing the past three years of my life; the only three of my seventeen years of life I can remember. "I heard Canada is nice this time of year." I state as we climb the stairs leading to the apartment above the bookshop. At least I'll have reading material close by.

"Ever, I understand where you're coming from." Amanda says, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. "But I promise you that the Charmings aren't going to be like the other families. Give them a chance."

"The Charmings?" I ask with one eyebrow raised. "Seriously?"

She just rolls her eyes and knocks on the door. Immediately, my heart drops into my stomach as I hear heavy footsteps approaching the door. "I bet they have Christmas cantatas."

Before Amanda can respond the door opens to reveal a young, blonde man in his late twenties to early thirties. Well, he definitely doesn't look like the older, greasy haired perverts that are typically my foster dads. I'm still not comfortable with the intense way he's looking at me though.

Amanda clears her throat before shooting me a look telling me to be on my best behavior, "Mr. Charming?"

"Please, call me David." The man smiles politely while shaking Amanda's hand.

"I'm Amanda Singer, we've been speaking over the phone the last few weeks." Amanda smiles warmly at him. "And this is Everleigh." David's attention shifts back to me and the same awestruck look fills his eyes.

"It's nice to meet you." I try to offer him a smile but it comes off more like a grimace.

"Oh, um, come on in. My wife is anxious to meet you, Everleigh, and i'm sure there's paperwork that needs to be filled out."

"Of course there's paperwork. I'm giving you a kid." Amanda jokes and I'm tempted to roll my eyes but decide to hold off on the teenage angst until she can't see it.

"Let me take your bags." David reaches for my backpack and duffel and I immediately take a step back on instinct.

"I can handle it." I state, unable to keep the icy bite from my words.

"Of course." He smiles gently and gestures for Amanda and I to enter the apartment. Amanda smiles politely as we enter.

"Be nice." She whispers in my ear as we enter the open layout apartment. The apartment itself is spacious but it's lacking the one thing I appreciate most: privacy. The first floor appears to be one big, open room. The kitchen and living room are connected and there appears to be a bedroom sectioned off with curtains. The only doors in the whole space is the one I entered through and the one to the bathroom- and even that one has a frosted window in it.

I have to admit that the apartment does have a cozy, lived in feeling to it. It's not trashy like most of the homes I've lived in nor is it so pristine that it looks like a museum. It's, for lack of better words, what I imagine a real home to be like. My examination of the apartment is cut off as three people make their way down from the top floor.

A small statured, brunette woman approaches me with a huge smile, "You must be Everleigh."

I'm taken aback when she pulls me in for a tight hug. My entire body tenses up and I can feel my fight or flight instincts kicking in; right now they're screaming at me to run. I look desperately at Amanda for help.

However, it's David who comes to my rescue.

"Mary Margaret, let's give Everleigh some space." He says gently as he pulls his wife away from me. I instantly cross my arms over my chest protectively.

"I'm so sorry." She instantly apologizes. "My excitement got the better of me."

"It's okay." I can't help but offer her a reassuring smile since she seems genuinely upset. "I'm just not big on hugging."

There's a brief, awkward silence before David clears his throat and nods his head over to the tall, blonde woman and child who had came down the stairs behind Mary Margaret. "This is my wife's sister, Emma, and her son, Henry."

"It's nice to meet you both." I greet them, warily watching the kid who is beaming at me with a 100 watt smile.

"Now, on your application you stated that it's only you two living here." Amanda states as she glances between David and Mary Margaret, searching for any sign of deception.

"Henry and I actually live in the apartment next door." Emma quickly explains. "We were just helping get Everleigh's room ready and time got away from us."

Amanda smiles approvingly at this.

"Emma, Henry," Mary Margaret claps her hands together. "Why don't you two show Everleigh her room while David and I go over the paperwork with Mrs. Singer."

"That sounds great." Amanda agrees before noticing the look I'm giving her. "It's okay. You know I won't leave without letting you know." She assures me.

"Come on!" Henry jumps up and down excitedly. " I'll help you with your bags. "

I notice both Amanda and David glance at me, clearly thinking of my earlier reaction when David tried to take my bags.

"Thank you, Henry." I give him a small smile and allow him to take my backpack since it weighs next to nothing. Being in the foster system, I'm quite adept around younger children. Besides, I could totally take him if he did try to take off with my bag. I throw a quick glance back at Amanda as I follow Emma and Henry up the stairs and she offers me a soft smile.

"Go ahead, you know I won't leave without telling you." She assures me as she follows David and Mary Margaret over to a well worn sofa set. Holding back a frown I follow the others up the stairs.

"This is mine?" I ask once we get to the top of the stairs and I can see the large space. Once again, there is a lack of walls and doors. However, it is completely separated from the rest of the apartment which is nice.

"We weren't sure what kind of stuff you like so we left it pretty bare and figured you could do the decorating yourself." Emma explains as I take in the empty, bricks walls and sparse furniture.

"It's nice." I assure her, sitting my bag down on the double bed. I'm not lying either. In the three years of my life that I can recall I've never had my own room so this is a considerable upgrade.

"So, do you like hot chocolate with cinnamon?" Henry asks as he jumps into the middle of my bed. Emma gives him a reprimanding glare but he just smiles cheekily at her. "Mom, Mary Margaret, and I all love it. It runs in the family."

"Can't say I've ever tried it." I inform him as I cross my arms over my chest; a natural defense mechanism I revert to whenever I'm feeling uncomfortable.

"With cinnamon?" He questions, looking a little crestfallen. "I guess it's not the common."

"Actually, I've never had hot chocolate." I admit feeling a little embarrassed that I haven't tried a drink most people have before they're five.

Henry is shell shocked, "Never?"

"Nope, at least not that I can remember."

"Don't worry, we'll make you some and you'll love it. I promise!" he assures me and I can't help but smile.

"We should probably head back down." Emma says as she gestures back toward the staircase and my stomach drops. I always dread the moment Amanda leaves because that's when a foster family's true colors come out. I reluctantly follow Emma and Henry down the stairs and see Amanda gathering up a stack of papers. It also doesn't escape my notice that David has the manilla envelope containing my file. I hate it when foster parents request my file, not that there's much in it to see. David notices my gaze and shifts so that the file is out of my view.

"So it looks like we're all set." Amanda says as she stands from the arm chair and tucks the stack of papers under her arm. "How's your new room?"

"It's nice." I inform her as I cross the room and stand beside her "I guess it's time for you to go."

Her mouth is set in a grim line as she glances over to where the Charmings are watching us, "Can we have a moment?" she asks gesturing between the two of us.

"Of course!" Mary Margaret exclaims as she starts herding everyone away from us. "We'll just be in the kitchen."

I have a really hard time not rolling my eyes as they literally only take five steps to the kitchen and I can still see her and David glancing over at me out of the corner of their eyes even though they're trying to look busy.

"Please don't leave me here." I mumble as I follow Amanda to the door and she sighs heavily.

"Evy, please give David and Mary Margaret a chance. You know they asked about adoption?" She informs me and I'm instantly panicked.

"You told them no, right?" I demand. "Why would they even want t adopt a seventeen year old? I'm out of the system in a year anyway."

"I told them that the adoption would be up to you." She assures me and I'm instantly relieved. "But seriously, Ever, give them a chance. They're different, I can feel it."

"We had tacos for lunch. What you're feeling is indigestion." I deadpan and she holds back a snort of laughter.

"What am I going to do without your smart mouth?" she grins at me and I roll my eyes.

"Take me with you and you won't have to find out." I offer with a grin of my own and it's her turn to roll her eyes.

"You have my cell phone number, call me if you need anything." She says seriously. "I'll be checking in with you every week and I won't hesitate to come back here if you miss a call."

"I know." I give her a genuine smile as she offers me her pinky and I wrap my own around it. I've never been fond of hugging so this has become our standard "goodbye."

"I'll see you later." She promises and gives me pinky a squeeze with her own.

"See ya." I say as we release one another and she quickly makes her exit. I take a deep breath before turning around to face the Charmings only to find every single one of them already watching me. Awkward.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Mary Margaret asks, coming around the counter and clearly ready to comfort me.

"I'm fine." I say as I take a half step back from her causing her to stop in her tracks.

"Well, if you're hungry, we could go to Granny's diner going in town. We thought you might like the chance to meet some of our friends from around town." David suggests and I have to hide my grimace since I have zero interest in meeting anyone from this town.

"Sounds great." I offer a fake smile. At least it's not a potluck.


	4. Something Fishy

**I Do Not own OUAT. Everleigh is my own creation.**

**AN:/ I just wanted to add that I'm a huge fan of daddy Charming so Everleigh will eventually be a daddy's girl!**

Chapter 2

I'm trying my best to give the Charmings a chance like Amanda asked; I really am. However, i'm entirely uncomfortable and completely out of my element as we enter the small diner with what I can only imagine is the entire town crowded inside of it. While I wasn't hungry since Amanda and I had a late lunch right before arriving in town, Henry had let it slip that I had never tried hot chocolate and wanted to go to Granny's anyways. I'm now regretting agreeing to this little outing. I almost bolt for the door when some of them actually cheer upon seeing us. The only consolation I have is that Emma seems to be every bit as mortified as I am.  
"Mary Margaret, David!" Both of my foster parents grin widely at the busty, grey haired woman whom I'm guessing owns the diner since her name tag says 'Granny.' "I'm so glad you made it. And you must be Everleigh." She smiles kindly at me and I'm thankful she makes no move to embrace me.  
"It's nice to meet you." I say awkwardly. I've never been good with meeting new people.  
"We saved you a table in the back." Granny gestures to the only empty seats in the diner. "Can I get you anything to drink?"  
"You should try hot chocolate with cinnamon!" Henry jumps up and down excitedly.  
"Henry, Everleigh may not want hot chocolate with cinnamon." Mary Margaret admonishes.  
"It's fine." I cut in at Henry's disappointed look. "I would love to try hot chocolate with cinnamon."  
Henry beams up at me as we make our way to the table saved for us. The crowd immediately parts for us and I can feel eyes analyzing my every move. I get increasingly nervous as we approach the table, not entirely sure which seat I should take. Thankfully, Henry makes the decision for me when he grabs my hand and seats me between himself and Emma.  
"So Everleigh, tell us about yourself." Mary Margaret suggests as she leans into David, both of them watching me intently.  
"There's not really much to tell." I inform them dryly as I fiddle with the napkin in my lap. "What do you guys do?" I ask, glancing between David and Mary Margaret and effectively divert the attention from me.  
"Well, I'm a school teacher." Mary Margaret smiles. "I teach grade four."  
"And I'm the sheriff." David explains and I have to hide my discomfort. I'm not overly fond of cops. "Along with Emma here." David looks oddly proud when he speaks about Emma. I find it weird that he seems so proud and find of his sister-in-law but I guess they're just a close family.  
"You don't look like a cop." I admit to Emma causing everyone to chuckle.  
"Well, I've definitely been on the wrong side of the law my fair share of times." She admits as a young red head in a very revealing mini skirt and fishnet stockings brings our drinks over.  
"Thank you, Ruby." Mary Margaret thanks the waitress who smiles brightly in return.  
"You must be the new addition to the Charming family." She smiles kindly at me.  
"I'm their new foster kid, yes." I correct her, not liking be referred to as part of their family. "I'm Everleigh."  
"Nice to meet you, Everleigh." The kind smile never leaves her face as she sets a large mug of hot chocolate complete with whip cream and a cinnamon stick in front of me. "I like your name. "  
"Thanks. I, uhm, like your leggings." I offer half heartedly and she chuckles.  
"You can borrow them sometime." She is clearly joking but David immediately cuts in.  
"No she can't. " He shuts the idea down immediately and I purse my lips, bristling at his authoritative tone.  
"Actually, I may take you up on that offer." I say, not at all serious. I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl and would never dream of wearing fishnet stockings but I've also never handled people telling me what I can and cannot do very well either.  
"Let me know and I'll throw a skirt in with it." She grind and gives me a conspiratorial wink.  
"No you won't." David argues again, clearly not picking up on the fact we're not serious.  
" Why not? " I ask innocently. "What's wrong with the way Ruby dresses?"  
David flounders for a moment, obviously not wanting to insult Ruby but not wanting to give me permission to wear something so revealing.  
"I, uh, um-" he stumbles over his words for a moment before Emma begins laughing quickly followed by Mary Margaret and Ruby.  
"You weren't serious, were you?" he asks, finally catching on.  
"No, I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl." I admit and he looks relieved.  
"Enjoy your drinks." Ruby still looks amused as she leaves our tables when another customer calls for her.  
"Try it!" Henry orders excitedly and I grin but feel an odd sense of nervousness; hot chocolate seems to be a really big deal to these people. Hesitantly, I take a small sip of the piping hot drink.  
"It's good." I confirm before admitting, " but I think I like coffee better. "  
"Finally!" David claps while Mary Margaret rolls her eyes and Henry groans.  
"You're still outnumbered 3 to 2, old man." Emma jokes as she takes a large dip of her own drink.  
"I'll take what I can get." He shrugs, raising his cup of coffee in a toast towards me.  
They continue to make small talk while I choose to remain silent, only speaking when spoken to. A few more people approach our table to introduce themselves and Emma takes Henry home soon after since he can barely hold his eyes open. I find myself wishing Henry was still with me as the Charmings and I begin the short walk back to their apartment since he provided sort of a buffer between us. I remain silent and I can tell from the look on Mary Margaret's face, the same look she has had every time she looked at me this evening, she wants to say something. Thankfully, she doesn't have the opportunity as another person approaches us, no doubt to introduce themselves; you would think the Charmings are royalty or something. David and Mary Margaret both tense up as the fierce looking woman approaches.  
"Well, well, well it looks like the Charming family is complete at last." The woman taunts with a malicious smirk painting her lips.  
"Regina, now is _not _the time." Mary Margaret narrows her eyes at the taller woman causing the woman's eyes to narrow on me.  
"Don't worry, Snow, I just want to congratulate your little family on this happy, happy day." The woman, Regina's, smile grows bigger as her words obviously strike a chord with David and Mary Margaret. I briefly wonder why Regina called Mary Margaret 'Snow' but assume it's just some kind of nickname.  
"You must be the prodigal daughter, Everleigh." Regina states as she looks me over from head to toe and gives an unimpressed scoff. I arch one eyebrow in reply not really sure how to respond to someone who so blatantly dislikes me after meeting me for 2 seconds  
"Mary Margaret, let's just go home." David places a firm hand on said woman's shoulder as she takes a step forward. She reluctantly backs down from Regina who gives one last, triumphant smirk before continuing past us, her shoulder harshly bumping into my own as she passes; David's hands steadying me is the only reason I don't fall.  
"Are you okay?" David asks, removing his hands from my shoulders as soon as he's sure I have my footing.  
" I've had much worse, trust me. " I assure both of them. "Who was that and what was her problem? " I ask, completely mystified, as I watch the woman continue down the street past us.  
"That would be Regina." Mary Margaret explains as we continue back to the apartment. "She's the mayor of Storybrooke."  
"_She'_s the mayor?" I question incredulously. Why in the world would the townspeople elect someone with such a sour disposition? " Why did she call me the prodigal daughter? " I inquire, still perplexed over the whole ordeal.  
"That's a good question." Mary Margaret smiles softly at me and I have a feeling whatever it is she's been wanting to say all evening is about to be said. " You-" she starts but David cuts in.  
"You don't need to worry about it." He quickly finished before Mary Margaret can say anything else. He and Mary Margaret seem to be having some kind of silent conversation from the looks they're giving each other.  
Finally Mary Margaret sighs heavily which seems to finish the conversation, "Let's get home." Is all she says.  
The rest of the walk home is completely silent and I'm even allowed to escape to the loft without any more "get to know you" questions but the whole time my mind is running a mile a minute. There's something fishy going on in this town and it's not Ruby's leggings.


	5. Operation Pancake

**I do not own OUAT. Everleigh is my own creation.**

Chapter 3

I've never been able to sleep well in a new foster home. This combined with the usual nightmares that plague my sleep and the fact that I can't shake the feeling that there's something odd going on in this town results in me getting about 3 hours of "sleep." Really it was just three hours of me lying in bed with my eyes closed trying to count as high as I could without losing my place (I made it to 2,732 in case you're wondering). I completely give up on even pretending to sleep just before 4 AM and get out of bed in a huff.  
I creep to the top of the stairs and peek over the railing to find the curtains surrounding Mary Margaret and David's bed are completely drawn shut. I take the steps slowly, careful to avoid the third step from the bottom which I noticed creaks if you put too much weight on it. As quietly as possible, I crack the door open and slip out quickly before shutting it behind me with a soft click. I tip toe past the door to Emma's apartment as well just in case she is an early riser as well.  
I don't go far, just to the wooden bench right in front of the apartment. I take a moment to take a deep breath of the fresh, early morning sir as I take a seat and admire the beginnings of the sunrise peeking out behind the clock tower. As much as I hate to admit it Storybrooke does have a certain charm to it; it almost seems magical with its brick buildings, antique lamp posts, and ivy covered clock tower.  
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Someone says from directly behind me. I gasp, one hand coming to clutch my racing heart, as I while around.  
" David! " I gasp, at first I'm relieved that it was him and not a stranger but then I realize I left the apartment without permission and icy fear washes over me. "I'm so sorry I left without permission." I shift my gaze to the pavement and try to brace myself for what may come next. What I don't expect is for him to take a seat beside me and place a mug in my hands.  
"You're not in trouble, Everleigh." David assures me, turning to watch the sunrise as well and I allow myself to relax. "I heard you get up and thought you might like a cup of coffee. Don't mention it to Snow though, she prefers healthier drinks."  
"Like hot chocolate and cinnamon?" I inquire and he chuckles while taking a sip of his coffee. Taking a drink from my own mug, I'm surprised to find it's the perfect combination of coffee and creamer.  
"I wasn't sure how you take your coffee So I just made it the way I drink mine." He explains when he notices me staring at my cup.  
" It's perfect, actually. " I say and he has almost a proud smile. "Thank you."  
" You're welcome. " he grind at me before we fall silent and continue watching the sunrise.  
"So what's with calling Mary Margaret Snow?" I ask once the sun is fully risen and my coffee cup is empty.  
David freezes up for a split second before glancing over at me, "What do you mean?" He tries to play it off and I narrow my eyes at him as I get the distinct feeling he's hiding something.  
"Last night that dude lady called Mary Margaret Snow and just now you said not to tell Snow about the coffee." I hold up my mug for emphasis and arch one eyebrow as he refuses to meet my gaze.  
"It's just a nickname she's had since childhood." He admits with a shrug. "Because she's always loved snow."  
"That's ridiculous." I roll my eyes at his blatant lie. "That would be like nicknaming me pancake because it's my favorite breakfast."  
" I like it. " David says as he pretends to think it over and I groan.  
"Do not even _thin_k about calling me that."  
"Too late, it's already stuck." He grins as he stands and stretches. "Come on, Pancake, let's see if we can rustle up some breakfast." I  
I give him the dirtiest look I can muster as I unfold myself from the bench and follow him back up to the apartment.  
"By the way, I know you're lying about the whole Snow thing." I inform him as we enter the apartment.  
" Is that so? " he asks with a joking tone but his eyes are much more serious.  
"Mhmm." I murmur. " I _will _find out what you're hiding. " I assure him. Before he can answer Mary Margaret comes out of the curtained partition that is their room.  
"There you two are." She says, smiling when she sees us together. "I was about to file a missing persons report."  
"Who would you report it with? " I ask while jerking my thumb toward David. "He's the sheriff."  
Her smile grows at my joke, "How about you get cleaned up and ready for the day while David and I make breakfast?" She suggests and I quickly agree since I didn't take the time to shower before I went to bed last night. Mary Margaret relieves me of my coffee cup and I quickly make my way upstairs to grab a clean set of clothes and my shower bag. Coming back down the stairs I manage to catch the end of what appear to be a very tense conversation.  
"She was asking about your name, your _real _name." David whispers frantically.  
"Charming, it'll be okay. " Mary Margaret murmurs reassuringly as she wraps her arms around his neck. I furrow my brow when she calls him by their last name once again. "We'll just have to be more careful."  
I notice they're moving in for a kiss and clear my throat to alert them of my presence since I really _do not _want to see that. They immediately jump apart and share a guilty glance.  
"What would you like for breakfast?" Mary Margaret asks after an awkward moment of silence and I shrug in reply.  
" It doesn't really matter to me. I'm not picky. " I admit because it's the truth. Being in foster care teaches you to eat whatever is in front of you because you won't get anything else. "The only thing I don't really care for is tomato."  
" Tomatoes. " David repeats with a small nod as if he's making a mental note of it. "Got it."  
" Well, why don't you go ahead and get a shower and we'll throw something together. " Mary Margaret smiles politely as she and David share another glance. They're definitely hiding something.  
"Sounds good." I agree and they immediately begin busying themselves in the kitchen as I head for the bathroom. Just as I'm shutting the bathroom door I see them whispering to each other again.  
Let operation "pancake" commence.


End file.
